Joseph Alexander Pirus (born January 12, 1955 in Toronto, Ontario) is a retired former professional ice hockey player who played 159 NHL games for the Minnesota North Stars and Detroit Red Wings. He was drafted 41st overall in the 1975 NHL Amateur Draft from the University of Notre Dame by the North Stars. Pirus only played 4 games for the Wings that season. He was traded back to the North Stars in June, 1980 but then was traded to the New York Islanders in July. In any case Pirus spent the 1980-81 season with the Indianapolis Checkers and retired at the end of the season.